Factors Affecting Patients with Concurrent Deep Neck Infection and Acute Epiglottitis

Abstract

Deep neck infection (DNI) is a serious disease of deep neck spaces that can lead to morbidities and mortality. Acute epiglottitis (AE) is a severe infection of the epiglottis, which can lead to airway obstruction. However, there have been no studies of risk factors in patients with concurrent DNI and AE. This study was performed to investigate this issue. A total of 502 subjects with DNI were enrolled in the study between June 2016 and August 2021. Among these patients, 30 had concurrent DNI and AE. The relevant clinical variables were assessed. In a univariate analysis, involvement of the parapharyngeal space (OR = 21.50, 95% CI: 2.905–158.7, p p p = 0.002) and involvement of the submandibular space (OR = 2.465, 95% CI: 1.131–5.375, p p > 0.05). However, we believe it is significant that DNI and AE are concurrent because both DNI and AE potentially cause airway obstruction, and concurrence of these two diseases make airway protection more difficult. The infections in critical spaces may cause the coincidence of these two diseases. Involvement of the parapharyngeal space and involvement of the submandibular space were independent risk factors associated with concurrent DNI and AE. There were no differences in pathogens between the concurrent DNI and AE group and the DNI alone group.

Keywords

• deep neck infection
• acute epiglottitis
• parapharyngeal space
• submandibular space